Great Film overall

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

After catching a serial killer (Antoine Saint-John) in the act of disposing of a victim, adulterous businessman Giorgio Mainardi (George Hilton) sees a way to solve both his romantic and financial problems at the same time: he blackmails the murderer into killing his wealthy wife Nora. Things go awry, however, when the killer's car is stolen by a young couple, Luca and Laura (Alessio Orano and Cristina Galbó), who are blissfully unaware of Nora's dead body stashed in the trunk. While Giorgio tries to keep his cool as an inquisitive police inspector enquires about his missing wife, the creepy killer tracks Luca and Laura to a disused seaside property where the couple plan a spot of lovemaking.When is a giallo not a giallo? When it turns the conventions of the genre upside-down by revealing both the identity of the killer and the motive for the movie's central murder within minutes, as occurs in Luigi Cozzi's The Dark is Death's Friend (AKA The Killer Must Kill Again). Rather than leave the viewer trying to solve a mystery, Cozzi lets us know precisely what is happening from the outset; the trick is to try and guess how the antagonists' plans will eventually pan out, and who might be eliminated along the way.Even though Cozzi's film mucks about with the accepted structure of the giallo, the plot still allows for the classic genre ingredients of sex and violence, with a smattering of nudity (both Galbo and busty beauty Femi Benussi get their kit off), a shocking rape scene, and one particularly vicious and bloody murder. The film also benefits from one of the more memorable maniacs of Italian cinema, Antoine Saint-John's gaunt features making him a natural for such a role. Fans of the giallo genre will not be disappointed.

The Italian-produced crime thriller "The Killer Must Kill Again" is an interesting, off-beat twist on the giallo murder mystery, except we know the identity of the murderer from the outset. Indeed, "Contamination" helmer Luigi Cozzi planned it that way and even says so on the informative commentary track. Spaghetti western stalwart George Hilton stars as Giorgio Mainardi who survives off the wealth of his sexy babe wife and decides to kill her after she threatens to pull for money from his fingertips. One evening afterward Giorgio catches a cold-blooded killer dumping the body of a dead girl in the harbor in her VW Beetle. This is pretty eerie stuff. Giorgio confronts the killer and helps him light his cigarette with a zippo style lighter with the initials D and A on it. According to Cozzi, the D and the A stand for his mentor Dario Argento. Anyway, the killer (Antoine Saint-John of "Duck You Sucker") allows Giorgio to blackmail him into killing his wife. Giorgio tells his wife that an associate will visit her one evening while he is gone. Sounds suspicious? Of course, it is. The killer arrives and kills the wife and stuffs her corpse in the trunk of his car. However, while he is cleaning up some loose ends, a young couple show up and steal the killer's car because the keys are dangling in the ignition. Meanwhile, the police contact Giorgio and the police inspector (Eduardo Fajardo of "The Mercenary") gives him the third degree. Anyway, the young couple cruise off to the beach and wind up breaking in and spending time in a villa on the beach, until they discover to their chagrin that the place belongs to the killer. This splendidly lensed murder melodrama has an unforgettable ending.

This is a very well-done thriller. A bit bloodier and nastier than Hitchcock's work, but very close in tone and production value. In fact, the editing was very precise, apparently tightly storyboarded, which was Hitchcock's method.The locations are few but perfect. The "ugly yellow house" described in another review was actually very cool; the yellow walls appear to be painted with expensive Dutch enamel. Typical bold and imaginative Italian design.The costumes are subtle, simple, but equally effective. Cristina Galdo in her soft jeans and innocent blouse is an incredibly alluring and convincing virgin. Michel Antoine, the killer, is tall and angular, with a James Woodsian countenance, cool and sinister in chic black pants and turtleneck.The DVD is nicely done. Great sound and picture, and extras worth checking out.If you like thrillers, definitely go for this one. Even if you have a hard time with foreign films, you will find this one palatable, with very smooth dubbing, an attractive and capable cast, and a solid, unpredictable storyline, delivered by a master director.

Genre rules exist for a reason. And Luigi Cozzi's "The Killer Must Kill Again" is a good example of what happens when you try to break those rules.In the extras, Cozzi stated that he was sick and tired of not knowing who the killer in giallos are...until the very end. The suspense, not to mention the various red herrings in traditional giallos, to me, is one of the reasons I find them so intriguing.However, Cozzi attempts to make a "giallo" showing who the killer is right from the beginning. NOT GOOD. At first, it seems to work, but as soon as that couple steal the car in which there's a dead body placed in the truck, it's all over.A good portion of the movie is the killer tailing the car thieves. Then I lost complete interest.If you ask me, "The Killer Must Kill Again" isn't much of a giallo. The killer is revealed, the killings aren't artful, the script is over all the place (seems like 2 different movies), and the sex is bland.Stick to the rules!